LANCASTER, Pa. – Looking for its eighth consecutive win in the all-time series with Franklin & Marshall, the Swarthmore College women's basketball team (3-9, 2-4 CC) dropped a close 59-64 decision in overtime to the Diplomats (3-7, 2-2 CC) on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Senior Jessica Jowdy and junior Maggie O'Neil, who went 7-of-8 from the free throw line, led the way with 14 points apiece while Hayley Raymond finished with nine, all coming in the second half. Swarthmore held a 61-48 rebounding advantage and generated 17 second chance points on 25 offensive boards, but could not overcome a 24.7 percent mark from the field.

The Garnet answered a hot start by the Diplomats, who opened the game on an 11-0 streak behind nine points from Haley Pilone, with a 9-0 run of their own. Abbey Deckard and Raina Williams converted layups in the middle of the quarter before Jowdy and O'Neil drove the past the defense on consecutive possessions with two minutes remaining. Swarthmore kept F&M off the board for the final 7:52 of the period on 0-8 shooting with six turnovers.

The teams traded baskets in the second as the Diplomats expanded their lead to 20-14 with 6:35 remaining. Two O'Neil free throws and a jumper by Kemi Oladipo made it a one-possession game and back-to-back treys from Jowdy and Kayla Sembly gave Swarthmore its first lead of the game at 24-20. Two layups by F&M in the final 90 seconds tied the game heading into the break.

The Garnet had their best offensive showing in the third with 19 points and only one turnover. Jowdy hit a pair of shots from downtown while Williams and Raymond both converted three-point plays to give the Garnet an eight-point advantage. The Diplomats, however, fought back and shrank their deficit to three entering the final period in regulation.

Two free throws by Raymond with 7:36 remaining gave Swarthmore a 49-42 lead before a five-minute scoreless stretch allowed F&M to re-assert itself. O'Neil answered with a 5-of-6 mark from the charity stripe in the final 2:30 of the quarter, but a late three from the Diplomats' Anajha Burnett extended the game into overtime.

In the extra period, the Garnet managed only one field goal as they dropped their fifth consecutive game.

The team will try to rebound and pick up its first road win of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 12 when it travels to Johns Hopkins for a 6:00 p.m. showdown.